


Every Year

by synstruck



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 09:17:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4781978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synstruck/pseuds/synstruck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Le–” Erwin only managed the first syllable of Levi’s name before he got a face full of damp dishcloth.</p><p>“Out!” Levi flicked the cloth again, catching Erwin in the cheek. “God <i>damn</i> it, Erwin, I said <i>out</i>!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” Erwin shrunk under the onslaught, laughing as he backed away. “I’m going, stop! I’m going.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vilfaras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vilfaras/gifts).



Fwump.

_Crash!_

“Fuck! Shit fuck shit. Fuck.”

Muffled swearing filtered from the kitchen at the far end of the apartment as Erwin swung the front door shut, the lock clicking softly behind him. There was a moment or two of clearly audible shuffling, followed by another metallic  _crash!_  and a frustrated “Oh shit.  _Shit._ ”

“Levi?” Erwin called out cautiously. “I’m home. Is something wrong?”

“No!”

More shuffling followed, and Erwin perched himself on the armrest of the couch by the front door to pull off his shoes. Levi’s head poked out around the corner, a white line of flour streaked across his nose and over one cheek.

“Don’t come into the kitchen. I’m cleaning up.”

Erwin raised an eyebrow at the squint Levi levelled his way, but didn’t question the request otherwise.

“Alright. Did you want me to get us some takeout, or…?”

“Nah.” Levi’s head disappeared back around the corner, his voice getting indistinct through the walls. “Just give me a little bit to clean up, it’s fine.”

“Alright.”

Pushing his shoes up next to the shoe rack with one foot, Erwin got up, listening as the muffled shuffling in the kitchen started up again. He resisted the urge to peep in before he retreated to his room to strip off his itchy work clothes and take a much-needed shower.

By the time he’d stepped out of the bathroom, the suspicious shuffling and crashing from the kitchen had stopped, and he could hear the tap running and the soft clinking of dishes as Levi washed them. As Erwin peered cautiously around the corner into the now-spotless kitchen, he could hear the gentle hum of the microwave working over the flow of the water. He glimpsed something in the oven just as Levi caught sight of him leaning around the corner.

“Le–” Erwin only managed the first syllable of Levi’s name before he got a face full of damp dishcloth.

“Out!” Levi flicked the cloth again, catching Erwin in the cheek. “God  _damn_  it, Erwin, I said _out_!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Erwin shrunk under the onslaught, laughing as he backed away. “I’m going, stop! I’m going.”

He slunk out of reach of the flailing dishcloth, still chuckling, and Levi didn’t pursue him out of the kitchen. The streak of flour across Levi’s nose that Erwin had seen earlier when he’d arrived home was still present on Levi’s face, and Erwin smiled at the sight.

Retreating to the living room, Erwin sank into the couch and turned the television on, content to while some of the evening away with the news channel before he was allowed back into the kitchen for dinner.

Over the next hour, various delicious smells wafted out of the kitchen and into the living room, and Erwin found it increasingly difficult to focus on the newscaster over the creeping fingers of hunger in his gut.

It felt like an eternity had passed by the time Levi padded quietly over the carpeted floors of their shared apartment into the living room, dropping heavily into the seat next to Erwin. The smear of flour was still streaked across Levi’s face, and Erwin attempted to keep his expression neutral as he caught Levi’s attention and gestured over his own.

Levi stared blankly for a moment before quickly rubbing the back of his fist over the bridge of his nose. Clearing his throat, Levi looked away and leaned back against the sofa cushions. Erwin didn’t have the heart to tell Levi that he’d missed the dusting of flour left on his cheek.

“You hungry yet? Dinner’s ready.”

Erwin grinned and nodded, turning the television off as both he and Levi got up off the couch. He followed Levi back into the kitchen, curiously eyeing the tense set of Levi’s shoulders as he trained behind him toward the enticing smell of dinner.

Erwin wasn’t surprised by the juicy roast lamb, glistening in the fluorescent kitchen lights, having smelt it clearly from the living room, nor was he surprised by the platter of golden brown potatoes sprinkled with rosemary and chunky sea salt that accompanied the roast. A salad he was expecting for sure, but what kind it would be was uncertain, so he eyed the bowl of greens with interest– dotted between and under the thin ribbons of sauteed kale were colorful flashes of diced red and yellow peppers, two or three different types of thinly sliced mushrooms fried in garlic butter, all topped with a light-handed layer of grated cheese. Erwin’s mouth watered and his stomach gurgled hungrily in agreement.

Levi cleared his throat uncertainly.

“There’s cake in the oven,” he said, trying to nudge Erwin onto one of the stools flanking the bar table. “Lemon bundt. I’ll take it out for you after dinner. Should still be warm.”

Erwin obligingly hipped up onto his usual stool when Levi began to shoulder him insistently, but as Levi began to slide around the table to his own stool, Erwin reached out to grasp his wrist. Levi jerked slightly in surprise, but didn’t pull away, and Erwin allowed himself a small smile downwards to the wrist in his grip.

“Levi, you didn’t have to,” he said quietly. “I appreciate it greatly, but you don’t have to do this every year.”

Levi was silent for a moment, and when he pulled his arm away gently, Erwin looked up, a little afraid.

“I want to, okay.” Levi’s face was neutral as he slid into his own seat, but Erwin noted that the tips of Levi’s ears were a very faint pink. “It’s not like I’m doing it out of some fucked up sense of obligation or something. Eat it already.”

He didn’t look at Erwin as he began to tuck into the food, and Erwin watched him pile potatoes onto his plate for a moment before carefully scooping salad onto his own.

“Thank you, Levi.”

Levi glanced up at Erwin briefly before swapping the platter of potatoes for the salad bowl.

“Yeah, yeah. Happy birthday, Erwin.”


End file.
